2011 AARP SURVEY OF MEMBERS IN NEVADA: OPINIONS ON VOLUNTEERISM

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "2011 AARP SURVEY OF MEMBERS IN NEVADA: OPINIONS ON VOLUNTEERISM"

Evan Jones
6 years ago
Views:

1 2011 AARP SURVEY OF MEMBERS IN NEVADA: OPINIONS ON VOLUNTEERISM The AARP Nevada State Office commissioned this survey to explore the views of its members on the topics of volunteerism, hunger, utilities affordability and preparation for retirement. This brief focuses on the topic of volunteerism. These results are based on a mail survey, fielded October 21, 2011 December 5, 2011, of 3,000 AARP members in Nevada, including a boost of members in Clark County. A total of 920 surveys were returned. Results are weighted to reflect the AARP membership population in Nevada. The sampling error for this survey is ± 3.2 percent. An annotated survey of the weighted responses to the volunteer questions begins on page 2 followed by a description of the methodology. Responses to all questions in this survey are available upon request. VOLUNTEERISM SURVEY-IN-BRIEF Over one-third (35%) of AARP respondents in Nevada have been volunteering for at least one organization or cause over the last 12 months (since October 2010). Of those who have volunteered, 75 percent have donated their time to the same organization for at least a year. Twenty percent of volunteers have been with their organization for 10 years or more. AARP members recurring volunteer activities are mutually beneficial to the member and the organizations for which they are giving their time. The top three reasons members continue to volunteer with specific organizations are the satisfaction of helping others (53%); the belief in and support of their mission, goals and values (52%); and the opportunity to make a difference on issues that are important to them (42%). Many AARP members in Nevada cite traditional methods as the preferred resource for learning about volunteer activities in their area. Word-of-mouth (46%), mail (40%) and local television, radio, or newspaper (38%) were the three most preferred modes. Online platforms were less desired with one-third interested in using AARP.org and one-fourth open to receiving information about volunteer activities. A cause that one cares about (79%) and convenience (67%) are the two factors most often cited when AARP Nevada members are deciding to donate their time. About six in ten (61%) members reported that having the organization near their home or in a nearby location is important in deciding whether or not to volunteer their time. Members also want an activity that is interesting/challenging (57%) and uses their skills and experience (56%). Most AARP members in Nevada indicated that lack of time was a barrier to engaging in volunteer activities. The need to make money (32%) and lack of time (43%) are two major issues that keep members from engaging in volunteer activities. One-third (33%) of members cited a disability or health issues as a factor limiting their volunteer activity and 29 percent of respondents noted that they were not asked to volunteer and therefore did not participate in volunteer activities. Page 1

2 2011 AARP ISSUES AND CONCERNS OF NEVADA MEMBERS [Weighted by Age & Gender, N=920 members] Volunteerism 1. Volunteering is giving time or skills without pay to help a person, friend, family, organization or cause. It may be something you do on a regular basis or less frequently. In general, are the following factors important to you when considering whether or not to give your time without pay to help an organization or cause? Yes No Not sure No answer % % % % a. A cause you care about b. Convenience/fits your schedule c. Interesting/challenging d. Nearby/convenient e. Uses your skills/experience f. Provides a learning or networking opportunity g. Somebody asked me to volunteer If you were interested in volunteering for an organization or cause, would you like to learn about volunteer opportunities through the following? Yes No Not sure No answer % % % % a b. AARP.org c. CreatetheGood.org d. VolunteerMatch.org e. Mail f. Word-of-mouth g. Local Television, radio, or newspaper h. Social networking websites (Facebook, Twitter, etc.) i. Other, please specify: 7 93 Page 2

3 3. In the last 12 months, that is October 2010 through today, have any of the following issues kept you from engaging in volunteer activities? Yes No Not sure No answer % % % % a. Lack of time b. Need to make money c. Volunteer hours not flexible with my schedule d. My skills don t match the organization s needs e. Don t have transportation f. Disability or health issues g. Not interested h. No one asked me to volunteer i. Other, please specify: In the last 12 months, that is October 2010 through today, have you volunteered any of your time to help an organization or cause? % 22 Yes, one organization/cause 13 Yes, two or more organizations/causes 57 No [SKIP TO Q7] 2 Not sure [SKIP TO Q7] 6 No answer 5. Think about the organization or cause for which you have spent most of your time volunteering this year, that is October 2010 through today. How long have you been volunteering with that organization or cause? (n=322 current volunteers) % 22 Less than 1 year 13 1 year but less than 2 years 25 2 years but less than 5 years 17 5 years but less than 10 years 7 10 years but less than 15 years years or more 3 No answer Page 3

4 6. Think about the organization or cause for which you have spent most of your time volunteering this year, that is October 2010 through today. Which are the THREE most important reasons why you volunteer with that specific organization or cause? (n=322 current volunteers) % 42 The opportunity to make a difference on issues that are important to me 15 Working with other volunteers 4 Learning new skills 27 I made a commitment to the program that I want to fulfill 53 Satisfaction of helping others 11 Meeting new people 12 Using life experiences well 37 Giving back to society 30 Having a positive impact on my community 4 Something to fill up my free time 18 Feeling valued by the organization 52 I believe in and support their mission, goals and values 38 Because I enjoy it Page 4

5 Methodology AARP commissioned a mail survey for 3,000 members in Nevada between October 2011 and December Surveys were mailed to two statewide samples of members, stratified by age to select members proportionate to each of three age groups: 50-59, 60-74, and 75+. The larger sample consisted of 2,000 members covering the entire state of Nevada and the smaller sample was a boost of the Las Vegas population in Clark County comprised of 1,000 members. Each sampled member was contacted about the survey in four ways: a pre-notification postcard, the survey itself, a reminder postcard, and a second survey. Of those surveyed, 920 returned completed questionnaires by the survey end date, yielding a response rate of 30 percent. The survey has a sampling error of plus or minus 3.2 percent at the 95% level of confidence. This means that in 95 out of 100 samples of this size, the results would be within ± 3.2 percentage points of the results obtained had everyone in the population completed a survey. Responses were weighted to reflect the actual distribution of members by age and gender. The data was not weighted by county because the returned surveys closely mirrored the actual population s proportion of residents in Clark County to all other counties in Nevada. Throughout the report, statistics representing member responses are reported in percentages. Percentages may not add up to 100 due to rounding. Page 5

AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole.

6 AARP is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization with a membership that helps people 50+ have independence, choice and control in ways that are beneficial and affordable to them and society as a whole. AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to either political campaigns or candidates. We produce AARP The Magazine, the definitive voice for 50+ Americans and the world's largest-circulation magazine with nearly 35 million readers; AARP Bulletin, the go-to news source for AARP's millions of members and Americans 50+; AARP VIVA, the only bilingual U.S. publication dedicated exclusively to the 50+ Hispanic community; and our website, AARP.org. AARP Foundation is an affiliated charity that provides security, protection, and empowerment to older persons in need with support from thousands of volunteers, donors, and sponsors. We have staffed offices in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands. State Research brings the right knowledge at the right time to our state and national partners in support of their efforts to improve the lives of people age 50+. State Research consultants provide strategic insights and actionable research to attain measurable state and national outcomes. The views expressed herein are for information, debate, and discussion, and do not necessarily represent official policies of AARP. AARP Research and Strategic Analysis For more information, please contact Erin Pinkus at: or epinkus@aarp.org

AARP Bulletin Survey on Volunteering

AARP Bulletin Survey on Volunteering Report Written by: Alicia Williams Copyright 2012 AARP Research & Strategic Analysis 601 E Street, NW Washington, DC 20049 www.aarp.org/research Reprinting with permission